


Family First

by StatueOfLuberty



Series: Country Living [3]
Category: Eyewitness (US TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Maybe some angst, and it's gonna be hella cute, but this is when they have kids, i'm writing the tags before the story so I don't know if there actually is angst, so enjoy, then y'all got me thinking about writing different parts, this all started as a part of philkas week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-09-15 19:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9252599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StatueOfLuberty/pseuds/StatueOfLuberty
Summary: Philip pulls his phone out and heads upstairs to grab his shoes. Lukas follows and stands in the hallway, looking around. One of these guest bedrooms is going to be Jamie's. He hears Philip talking to the social worker on the phone, letting out a laugh before thanking her and hanging up. He appears in their bedroom doorway and smiles."What are you thinking about?" he asks."Just—we're starting our family, and Jamie's finally going to be a part of one. It's mind-boggling."





	

**Author's Note:**

> So I picture Cameron Boyce as Jamie. Also I wasn't thinking when I named the dog Lucy. Lukas and Lucy. I hate myself.
> 
> [Here](http://barnplansvip.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/barn-style-home-plans-6.png) is the house I'm picturing.

_"I don't know, maybe some onesies, a couple pairs of booties, a baby blanket. That kind of stuff."_

**August 2023**

Lukas comes home from a trip to Arizona and finds different brochures on the kitchen table, all about adoption. Philip brought up surrogacy a couple weeks ago, but Lukas shot it down; if they have the opportunity to prevent a kid from growing up the same way Philip did, they're going to take advantage of it.

"Babe, I'm home," Lukas calls out.

He hears the footsteps bounding down the stairs and drops his bags just in time to catch Philip. They hug for a long time before pulling back enough to kiss. Lucy is barking and jumping on them, excited to see Lukas again. He crouches down and pets her, speaking in a ridiculous voice as he scratches behind her ears. She calms down enough for him to stand up.

"How was Arizona?" Philip asks, but he looks like he wants to say something else.

"Okay, out with it. I know you won't listen until you say what you wanna say," Lukas says.

His husband smiles. "We got approved."

A huge grin breaks out on Lukas' face. He picks Philip up and spins them around, Philip's giggles floating in the air. His heart feels like it's going to burst, he's so happy. They've met Jamie a bunch of times, starting back in late March. Now, they can go to the foster home and bring him to what they hope he'll consider home.

"When can we get him?" Lukas asks.

"We can go now, if you want. They called me two days ago, but I told them I wanted to wait until you got home. I'll just let them know we're on our way."

Philip pulls his phone out and heads upstairs to grab his shoes. Lukas follows and stands in the hallway, looking around. One of these guest bedrooms is going to be Jamie's. He hears Philip talking to the social worker on the phone, letting out a laugh before thanking her and hanging up. He appears in their bedroom doorway and smiles.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks.

"Just—we're starting our family, and Jamie's finally going to be a part of one. It's mind-boggling."

The brunet smiles. "What's more mind-boggling is that he's nine years younger than us."

Lukas groans. "Don't remind me. It makes me feel weird. I want to focus on the fact that we're changing his life."

They head to the car, locking everything up and making sure Lucy's going to be fine for the five or six hours they'll be gone. Then, they climb into Philip's Ford Escape and start their journey to the city. They're both a bundle of nerves, but the smiles don't leave their faces. Lukas texts their parents that they're on their way to Jamie's foster home, and they all text back that they can't wait to meet him. He tells Philip, which makes the other man smile.

Two hours later, they're pulling into the driveway of the foster home. Lukas rings the doorbell before wrapping an arm around Philip's waist. Gabriella, the foster mother, opens the door and grins before pulling them into hugs and letting them step inside.

"Liz is in the kitchen with the paperwork. Jamie's just saying goodbye to the rest of the kids. He's had his bag packed since he found out you two were adopting him," she tells them as they all head down the hallway.

Liz stands and shakes their hands before they all sit down. Lukas and Philip sign in the correct spots. They're almost done when Jamie calls their names from the entryway. The couple stands and smiles at the boy and hug him when he comes into the kitchen.

"I never thought this day would come," Jamie says when they pull away, the freckles on his face dancing when he smiles.

"Jamie, I actually have something for you to fill out," Liz says as she pulls a piece of paper from her briefcase. "It's about whether or not you want to change your last name from Raymond to Shea-Waldenbeck."

The three males freeze. They never talked about it, so this is kind of sudden. Jamie turns to Philip and Lukas and asks, "Is that okay with you two?"

"Of course it is, Jamie. You're becoming a part of our family. We just didn't know whether you'd want to or not," Philip admits.

Jamie shakes his head. "No way am I keeping my last name."

Jamie's parents were very abusive, and it got worse when they drank. He was put in the system when he was five, and he's bounced from foster house to foster house ever since. He stopped everybody from thinking he would be a problem by taking care of the other foster kids and protecting them when it was needed.

Jamie fills out the form, and Liz tells them his new birth certificate and social security card will arrive in the mail within the next two weeks. Jamie grabs his duffel and backpack, hugs Gabriella and the other foster kids, and then they're heading to the car. Lukas lets Jamie sit up front for the ride back, and they stop at a sandwich shop for lunch. When they reach the house, Lukas hears Jamie gasp. He'd never been here before, so it was definitely a change from the city. He reluctantly lets Philip grab his bags, but his uneasiness is quickly forgotten when Lukas opens the door and Lucy comes flying out. Jamie kneels and accepts the tackle and kisses, giggling the whole time.

"Well, I'm glad she likes him," Philip comments. "Come on, Jamie. You should pick your room and put your things away."

"It's not a lot," Jamie states as he stands up.

Philip gives him small smile. "I know. C'mon, we'll give you a tour."

Jamie stares at everything in the house, obviously impressed. They've made it as welcoming as they could, with a filled bookshelf in the living room, a couple pictures of them from when they were teenagers, a couple wedding photos, pictures of their families (including Anne and Sally), a few decorations that are rustic and handmade, a couple magazine covers of Lukas, and some pictures of their property that Philip took with the camera Lukas bought him for his twentieth birthday. The windows are big and let in a lot of sunshine, lighting up the house brightly. When they venture upstairs, Jamie chooses the room with the bay window, talking about how he's always wanted something like it after seeing it in a magazine the third time he was taken to the hospital for injuries from his parents.

"It gave me hope," he says.

They leave him to make the room more of his own, letting him know they'll be downstairs. Lukas sits on the couch while Philip takes the armchair. Philip picks up his book and continues reading, occasionally glancing at his husband. It's only about ten minutes before Lukas starts snoring. Jamie comes down not long after and stares.

"Does this usually happen?" he asks.

Philip chuckles. "Nah, he had a really early flight from Phoenix, and he can't sleep on planes. We left a few minutes after he came back."

"I'm guessing he was excited?" Jamie asks as he sits on the ground to pet Lucy.

"Well, I told him we were approved for the adoption after I welcomed him back, and he wanted to leave right away. I would've told him two days ago when I found out, but I knew he would've dropped out of the race to fly back, and it was a pretty big one." Philip suddenly feels guilty. "I'm sorry we didn't get you sooner."

Jamie waves it off. "Don't worry about it; I read about the race, so I know how important it was to his career. I'm just glad it's you two that adopted me."

"We are, too," Lukas says before yawning. "I'm gonna take a nap upstairs. If I'm not awake by dinner—"

"I'll wake you up," Philip finishes. "Go, before you scare Lucy with your snores."

Lukas walks up the stairs, mumbling, "I don't snore," which makes Philip and Jamie laugh. Lucy jumps up and follows, her tail wagging the whole way. Philip looks at Jamie and frowns when he sees how awkward he feels.

"Never had a phone, huh?" he asks.

Jamie looks up and shakes his head. "I knew I would forget it at a house, so I never got one. Always walked home with a kid that did, though."

"We'll get you one when we go to the mall tomorrow." Philip looks at his watch and asks, "I should probably head to the grocery store. Wanna come with?"

Jamie jumps up and runs out the door. Philip chuckles to himself and grabs his keys before following. They head to the Target that's about half an hour away because "it's worth it, trust me." The windows are down, and the radio's the only noise besides the wind whipping through the car. Jamie practically has his head hanging out the window like a dog, taking in the view. Philip can't help but grin.

When they get to the store, Jamie grabs a cart and follows Philip around. When they get to produce, Jamie's mouth is practically watering at all the fruit. Philip notices and adds it all to the cart when the teen isn't looking. They pass a group of high-school girls that Philip's seen around town. They look at Jamie and giggle as they pass. Jamie looks at Philip with a goofy grin.

"Yeah, you're gonna like Tivoli," Philip says.

"Wait, I'm gonna go to  _school_ with them?" Jamie asks. When Philip nods, he lets out a low whistle. "Damn, I can't wait until September."

When they get back home, Jamie helps put everything away before heading upstairs. Philip's phone rings, buzzing against his thigh. He sighs and pulls it out, smiling when he sees the name that's flashing across the screen.

"Hey, Helen. How are you?" he asks as he moves to get a drink.

"I'm good. What about you guys? How's Jamie doing?" she asks.

"He's pretty excited to be here, but it's too early to tell how he's settling. I'm sure it won't be a problem, though; he's just happy to be here."

"Yeah, it took longer for you because you didn't want to be here. Does he like Lucy?"

"Oh yeah. I think Lukas now has some competition. Jamie might become her new best friend."

Helen laughs. "Good, now she has somebody for when he has races."

"I'm not good enough for her."

Another laugh. "Okay, so the reason why I called. Us parents have talked, and we want to schedule a dinner where we meet Jamie. It doesn't have to be right away, obviously. We don't want to overwhelm him."

Jamie walks into the kitchen then. Philip says, "Lemme ask. Hey, Jamie. The grandparents want to know when you wanna meet them."

"Tomorrow, if that's okay with them," Jamie answers immediately.

That surprises Philip. He says into the phone, "Tomorrow night sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. I'll let Gabe and Bo know, and then I'll text you a time. Love you."

"Love you too."

* * *

"Okay, anything else you can think of?" Lukas asks as the three of them leave the Apple store.

"You guys have already bought me so much. Clothes, electronics, stuff for my room; I don't need anything else," Jamie replies.

"If you think of anything else, we'll get it," Philip says. "For now, let's get home. We have a few chores to do before we get ready for dinner."

On the way home, Jamie's quiet. Philip and Lukas have a silent conversation. The blond sighs when he loses and asks, "Everything okay back there?"

"Yeah, just—what if they don't like me?" Jamie asks.

Philip almost slams on the brakes. "Why do you think they wouldn't?"

"It's always been something I've worried about. Like, the parents would like me, but if their parents didn't, they would bring me back," the teen explains.

"Well, we're definitely not doing that. We've told them so much about you; they're really excited to meet you," Lukas assures him. "You have nothing to worry about."

It worries Philip. He knows their parents will love him, but he also understands where Jamie's coming from. All his life, he watched other kids get adopted. He thinks he's not good enough. Philip felt the same way when it came to Helen and Gabe. At some points, he's even felt that way with Lukas. It's something a lot of foster kids feel.

When they get back home, it takes a couple trips for them to get everything upstairs. Jamie sits on his bed and starts to go through each bag, trying to figure out what he should wear tonight. Philip stands in the doorway and watches, unsure how to start this conversation.

"Hey, I'm gonna get a shower," Lukas says as he passes by. "Come join me?"

"In a few minutes," Philip answers.

Lukas nods, seeming to get it. Philip waits until he and Jamie are alone. "Hey."

Jamie looks up and smiles. "What's up?"

Philip steps in and sits on the edge of the bed. He tries to think of the right way to say what he's thinking. "What you said in the car, about what you've always worried about? I've been there."

"What do you mean?"

"The grandparents you're meeting tonight on my side of the family aren't my biological parents. Helen and Gabe were my foster parents, and then they adopted me."

"Wait, really?" Philip nods. "Why didn't you mention this before?"

"Honestly? I never thought of it. None of us expected me to stay with them that long, so I got to know them more when the situation became permanent. It was like I had another shot at having the family I always dreamed of. I loved my mom, but it was not a good situation."

"What happened to her, if you don't mind me asking?" Jamie asks.

Philip takes a shaky breath. "She was, uh, she was murdered. It's a long story, though. We'll save that for another day."

Jamie surprisingly pulls Philip into a hug. "I'm sorry. Thank you for telling me. Go join Lukas in the shower; it'll make you feel better."

Later that night, they're pulling up to Gabe and Helen's house, Jamie holding the bowl of potato salad. Bo's SUV is already there, parked next to Gabe's truck. As soon as they're stepping out of the car, Hannah's out the door and tackling Philip. She pulls away with a grin on her face.

"Hannah, let them come in before you attack them," Gabe jokes from the porch.

She pulls away and smiles sheepishly before heading inside, pushing Gabe's shoulder. Philip hugs his adoptive father, Lukas following after. Jamie goes to shake his hand, but Gabe pulls him in.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Jamie. Philip and Lukas have told us so much," he says.

"It's nice to meet you too, um—"

"Just call me Gabe. It's up to you if you ever want to change it."

Helen and Bo stand from the kitchen table when they all step inside. Helen greets them all with a smile, and Bo follows shortly after. Jamie's assured that he can call them all by their first names and that he can change it if he ever feels like it. He seems to relax after that, which makes Philip happy. He knows they're gonna love Jamie, and he thinks Jamie's starting to believe that.

Gabe tells them that they're sitting outside for dinner. Jamie thinks he means the porch, but he's pleasantly surprised at the table that's sitting on the lawn with seven chairs surrounding it. Philip and Lukas hesitate when they spot it.

"Thought we could change the memory at this table from bad to good," Bo tells them as he passes by.

Bo sits at the head of the table with Lukas and Philip sitting next to him. Jamie's next to Lukas, Hannah's next to Philip, Helen's next to Jamie, and Gabe's next to Hannah. They eat in silence for a couple minutes, enjoying the burgers Bo made. Lukas looks at Philip, only to find him already staring with a grin on his face.

"What?" Lukas asks.

"You have mayonnaise on your left cheek," Philip says. Lukas wipes his face, but it's still there. Philip tells him this, so he tries again. "Oh my god, let me."

The brunet reaches over with his napkin and wipes the smudge of mayonnaise from his cheek. Lukas blushes and smiles, thanking him. He notices how quiet it is, so he looks around to see everybody staring at them.

"God, it's sickening how cute you two are," Hannah says before shoveling potato salad into her mouth.

"Hey, Helen and Gabe were like this when I moved in with them," Philip states.

"We were not," Helen argues."

"Yeah, we were," Gabe chimes in. "Admit it, you can be mushy."

Hannah snorts. "I'd love to see that."

"Why is it so hard to believe that?" Jamie asks.

Bo grins at him. "Helen's the sheriff, and she's not known for letting people off the hook."

Lukas groans. "Don't remind me. I had to beg her to not charge me for trespassing when I sneaked in senior year."

"I doubt I will, but if I ever get in trouble, I know not to expect any special treatment," Jamie says.

"And don't you forget it," Helen states. "So, Jamie, how much did Philip and Lukas spend on you today?"

"Way too much," Jamie says as Philip and Lukas say, "Not enough."

"Are you kidding me?" Jamie exclaims. "New phone, new laptop, so many clothes, a lot of stuff for my room; how is it not enough?"

"Jamie, we could spend all the money in the world on you, and it wouldn't be enough," Lukas replies.

The rest of them continue to talk, but Jamie's stuck on what Lukas said. He's always known that Philip and Lukas like him, but he feels like that word isn't strong enough. He thinks "love" works better for how they feel about him, and that's exciting. It's something he's never felt.

After dinner, Philip and Lukas disappear to the barn, just like old times. They climb to the second floor and sit against a bale of hay, bringing back memories of the night Lukas broke up with Rose. Philip lets out a happy sigh, letting his head fall to his husband's shoulder.

"I actually miss this," he admits.

"Really?" Lukas asks.

"Even though we were originally hiding from Helen and Gabe, it became our spot after you came out. It was a place for us to meet up, especially when one of us had a nightmare." Philip looks up and smiles. "A lot of good memories here."

His husband smiles and presses their lips together. They trade kisses for a couple minutes before movement below them makes them freeze. For a second, it's like they're sixteen again. Whenever they heard something, Lukas would think it was the killer. Reality would come crashing in. They weren't fooling around; they were hiding, trying to stay alive and keep their relationship a secret.

"It's just me," Bo calls up the ladder. "Jamie's falling asleep on the couch, so you might want to bring him home."

Lukas smiles at the thought of their home also being Jamie's and heads down the ladder first. When Philip's next to him a few seconds later, Bo stops them from leaving.

"I never thought my son would be married and have a kid at twenty-four, but here we are, and I am so proud of you two," he says. "Jamie seems really happy to be here. You're going to change his life for the better."

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot," Lukas says.

Bo pulls his son into a hug, and then he surprises Philip with one. They all head to the house in a comfortable silence, Lukas holding Philip's hand with pride. Eight years ago, he never would've done that. Philip gently shakes Jamie awake, letting him know they're heading out. Once everybody says their goodbyes, the Shea-Waldenbecks head back to their house. As soon as they're inside, Jamie yawns and heads to bed, wishing them a good night. Lukas collapses onto the couch, bringing Philip to his lap. They don't say a word, just enjoying each other's company.

"You know," Lukas starts, "we're gonna have to tell him what happened. If we don't, one of his classmates will."

Philip sighs. "I know. I just—when we tell him, what will he think?"

"We can't predict that. Look, I'm as scared as you are; I don't want him to call Social Services as soon as we tell him. But if we don't say anything, he's going to think we don't trust him. You know exactly how that feels." Lukas stands up with Philip in his arms, making the other man squeak. "Let's just go to bed and talk about this tomorrow, okay?"

"You really don't need to carry me," Philip complains as they ascend the stairs.

"You love it when I show off."

"Maybe, but not while we're going up a flight of  _stairs._ "

* * *

**September 2023**

It's been forty-three minutes since they dropped Jamie off at school, and Philip's freaking out. Does he like his teachers? Are the kids treating him okay? Is he being made fun of? Are they talking about what his dads went through?

That stops him. It's weird, thinking of himself as a dad. He's not wrong, though. Legally, he and Lukas are Jamie's fathers. However, he doesn't know how Jamie views them. To them, he's their son. It's just never really occurred to Philip that that means he's Jamie's father.

"You're thinking too loudly," Lukas says as he dries the last dish. "What's up?"

Philip lets out a sigh. "Just thinking about Jamie. What if the kids treat him like our classmates treated me?"

"Like I treated you, you mean."

"At first, yeah." Philip dries his hands with the other towel and leans against the counter. "I just don't want him to go through hell like I did."

"Unless he also witnesses a triple homicide, I don't think it'll be as bad as it was for you," Lukas says. He steps forward and wraps his arms around Philip's waist, pulling their hips flush. "C'mon, we have the house to ourselves. We won't have to keep it to the shower. We can actually use our  _bed._ "

Later, when they've fooled around and napped a little, Philip checks his phone while Lukas snores in his ear. Eight years, and he still denies the snoring. Chuckling to himself, he sends a text to Jamie.

_Hope the first day is going well so far. We'll see you at 2:30. Be nice to Ms. Sinclair._

Rolling out of bed, he pulls on his boxer-briefs and sweatpants before heading downstairs. Lucy ears perk up as she watches him from her bed, but she doesn't move otherwise. He looks in the fridge and pulls out ingredients to make sandwiches. When he's done with the first sandwich, he holds the plate out behind him. Lukas curses under his breath and takes the plate, hopping onto the counter next to Philip.

"I can never scare you, can I?" Lukas asks.

"Not when your snoring suddenly stops echoing down the stairwell," Philip jokes. "I saw you in the reflection of the microwave, dummy. You're not exactly subtle."

The blond pouts. "It was gonna be a cute scare, though. You know, arms around the waist, loud kiss to the neck, swaying back and forth, the whole shebang."

"I'm sorry I ruined your plan. You'll have plenty more opportunities to try again."

After they've eaten, Lukas takes Lucy for a walk while Philip hangs out the laundry. His phone is linked to the outdoor speakers, playing their playlist. He'll swear he listens to other music, but everybody knows that there's enough music on that thing to keep him busy. Music is playing, sun is shining, breeze is blowing; it reminds him of the day they decided to expand their family.

Philip jumps when Lukas wraps his arms around his waist. There's a kiss pressed to his neck, and they sway to the music. Lukas smiles against his skin and says, "The whole shebang."

* * *

It's hectic outside once school ends. All the students are running around, screaming and laughing. He looks around until Philip's SUV pulls up. Lukas grins at him from the opened passenger window. "Hey, buddy. Ready to go?"

Jamie smiles and says, "You have no idea," before climbing into the backseat. Philip makes sure he's buckled in before merging onto the street again.

"How was your first day?" he asks.

"It was okay. A lot of kids stared, but it's a small town; they notice when something's different. Ms. Sinclair says hello, by the way."

Lukas turns around with a grin. " _Ms. Sinclair,_ huh?"

"Hey, I respect my teachers, unlike somebody I know," Jamie replies with a smirk.

Lukas turns his head to his husband. "What did you tell him?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that you called Mr. Egan a weenie when he gave you a detention," Philip says, holding back a smile. Jamie cracks up in the backseat.

"Hey, he gave it to me because I walked in a few seconds after the bell," Lukas defends.

"Babe, you called him a  _weenie_."

"Well, I couldn't use the word I was actually thinking without getting sent to the principal's office."

When they get back home ( _home_ ), Jamie pulls out the syllabi that he was given and places them on the counter for Philip or Lukas to sign. Grabbing an apple, he heads outside with Lucy, yelling he's going for a walk. Philip says something about dinner, but Jamie knows he'll be back by then. Lucy walks by his side, stopping every once in a while to sniff something. It's weird, being able to walk down the street without having to worry about bumping into somebody and his wallet being snatched. He learned to keep his hands in his pockets so he can hold onto his wallet. Here, he doesn't have to do that.

It's been a little difficult, adjusting to the country life. It's so much quieter, so falling asleep at night takes forever. The view from his window is incredible when the sun rises, which is something he sees every morning. He can tell that the air is cleaner. He sometimes sees deer in the field, eating the flowers. Everybody knows each other. When they go to the diner, it's obvious that his parents aren't accepted by some people.

The whoop of a siren scares Jamie. A police Jeep pulls up, its lights flashing. The window is rolled down, revealing a smiling Helen behind it. Jamie places a hand over his heart and lets out a breath of relief, chuckling a little.

"Jeez, Helen. Way to make an entrance," he jokes.

"You're pretty far from your house. Need a ride back?" she asks.

He looks at the time and is surprised when he sees that it's almost 4:30. "Please. Philip and I are supposed to make dinner together."

"Alright, hop on in."

The ride back is mostly quiet with exception to the radio. Lucy lies in the backseat, panting from all the walking. Jamie texts Philip and Lukas to let him know that Helen's giving him a ride home. When she pulls up to the house, Philip's leaning against one of the pillars on the porch, his arms crossed with a smile on his face. He waves to Helen as Jamie and Lucy head up to the house, and she leaves with a beep.

"Sorry, I didn't realize how far I'd gotten until she pulled up," Jamie says as they head inside.

"No worries. Ready to make the lasagna?"

Jamie turns on the radio while Philip gets the ingredients. They joke around as they prepare dinner, bumping into each other and messing the other up when it's time to layer. It's everything Jamie's dreamed of. He's seen this kind of stuff on TV all the time, and now he's living it.

He tells Philip and Lukas about school more while they eat their dinner. Lukas interjects with his comments on the teachers he remembers. Philip rolls his eyes and smiles as his husband goes on with stories of his time in high school.

"So, I have an announcement to make," Lukas says. "I talked to my manager this afternoon, and I will be participating in the Supercross Championship next year."

"Oh my god, that's amazing!" Philip exclaims. "I'm so proud of you."

"Congratulations, Lukas," Jamie says with a smile.

"There's gonna be a race in New Jersey, and I also want to fly you two out to one of the races in California. It's beautiful out there. Philip, you can take pictures for your blog, maybe even sell them," Lukas offers. "It'll be fun!"

"I'm down with that," the teen says. They both turn to Philip, who sighs.

"I guess we can go to California," he says jokingly.

Later that night, Jamie's lying in bed when Philip walks in with a speaker. He plugs it in, connects an iPod to it, and the room is suddenly filled with the sound of traffic. Jamie gives him a questioning look.

"I saw how dark the circles under your eyes were. It took me a while to get used to the silence. Lukas and I listen to the sound of rain at night so I can sleep," he admits.

"Thanks. Do you think, maybe, you could kiss my forehead? My first foster mother would do that, and I couldn't fall asleep until she did," Jamie explains, his cheeks coloring.

Philip smiles and steps forward, pushing Jamie's curls back and pressing his lips to his forehead. "Goodnight, kiddo."

"G'night, Philip.

* * *

**November 2023**

It's a beautiful, surprisingly warm day, so the couple is in the field behind their house. Lukas is training, which means it's Philip who gets the call. He looks at the caller ID and smiles before answering. "How's working on a farm?"

"Dad?" Jamie sounds terrified. His voice is shaky, and there's a wailing siren in the background.

"Jamie, what's going on?" Philip asks as he waves his arm as Lukas. His husband comes over and turns off the dirt bike. Philip puts the phone on speaker.

"It's Bo, he had—he—"

"Where are you?" Lukas asks.

"The hospital in Poughkeepsie."

"We're on our way. Hang in there, buddy," Philip says as they rush towards the house.

Lukas can't sit still the whole ride over. Philip keeps one hand on the steering and the other in Lukas'. They knew this day would come, that Bo would end up in the hospital due to his alcoholism. They just didn't think it would be so soon. It scares Lukas, to be completely honest; if he loses his dad, it'll be like when Philip lost his mom. They've come a long way from when he was a junior.

As soon as Philip's parked the car, they rush inside. Jamie yells, "Dad, Pop!" before rushing over, throwing his arms around Philip, then Lukas. He's babbling, something about feeding the turkeys while Bo was working on the tractor. He heard something clank, turned around as Bo collapsed, performed CPR. Lukas shushes him and pets his hair while kissing the side of his head.

"It's okay, it's okay," he says. "Has the doctor come out, yet?"

Jamie pulls away and shakes his head. "I was in the ambulance when I called you. We arrived maybe fifteen minutes ago."

They all sit down with Jamie in the middle. Philip throws an arm across the back of the chairs, playing with the hairs on the back of Lukas' neck. Usually, it would calm him down, but this is his  _dad._ He won't relax until he knows if his dad's okay.

Philip leaves for a minute to call Gabe and Helen, which means Lukas and Jamie are left alone. Jamie avoids looking at Lukas, and Lukas thinks he knows why. He kneels in front of Jamie.

"Look at me," he says. Jamie's eyes finally lock with his. "I know you did everything you could. No matter what happens, remember that."

"I just—it feels like I could've done more," Jamie admits.

"I know, buddy. You're going to rethink every decision you made. Philip and I did the same thing after the murders, but the problem is that we don't know what would've happened if we came clean sooner. You don't know if anything would've changed, but I actually don't think you could've done anything else. I love you, okay?" He kisses his son's forehead and returns to his seat. "By the way, I like 'Pop.'"

"It fits you."

Philip comes back and collapses in his chair, telling them Gabe asked to keep them updated. It's a few more minutes before the doctor comes out and calls out Bo's name. The three stand and walk over, anxious to hear the news.

"It took some time, but we managed to stabilize him. He's being given some medication now to stop any more clotting and reduce the workload on his heart. He's resting for now, and we will have to keep an eye on him for the next three-to-five days," he explains.

"Can we go see him?" Lukas asks.

"Yes, but not for long. He needs to rest."

They follow the doctor down the hallway, and Lukas enters first. His heart breaks at the site of his dad. He looks small and fragile and  _wrong._ His dad is big and strong and capable of overcoming anything. Who Lukas sees is not the man he knows, and it makes his eyes water.

"Do you want some time alone?" Philip asks.

Lukas sniffs. "No. I really need you two right now."

"Okay, babe. We're right here."

They don't stay long. Lukas would fight to stay the whole night, but he knows Philip would be too worried to sleep. Lukas calls Gabe while Philip wakes Jamie up. He's been conked out in the backseat the whole drive, his energy suddenly drained after the events of the morning. Lukas heads inside and goes into the study, closing the door until there's about an inch between it and the doorjamb.

"Hey, Lukas. How's your dad doing?" Gabe asks.

"Honestly, I don't know. It sounds like he's okay, but you know how doctors talk." Lukas groans. "Of course you do, you're a doctor."

Gabe chuckles. "Yeah, but I also know that my patients' owners don't understand me at times. How are you doing?"

"Fine."

"Lukas."

The younger man lets out a sigh. "Scared. Really scared. I can't lose him, Gabe. Not yet."

"You're always going to feel that way, son. Nobody ever wants to lose someone they love. Whatever happens, happens. You have to remember that in case you get a phone call from the hospital. We'll be right here, though. You have a wonderful son and a loving husband," Gabe assures him.

"Speaking of my wonderful son, he called us 'Dad' and 'Pop' today," Lukas tells him with a grin.

"Really? That's great! Hey, I gotta go, but let me know if anything changes. I love you, son."

Lukas smiles. "Love you too, Gabe."

He stuffs his phone into his pocket and exits the study, only to run into Philip. He's about to ask what's up when Philip grabs his face and kisses him. Lukas wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him closer, letting the feeling of his husband's lips be the only thing on his mind for a couple minutes.

"I hate asking this, but what was that for?" he asks.

Philip smiles and pecks his lips. "I just really love you."

At dinner, it's quiet. Jamie's obviously still shaken up, Lukas is too worried to speak, and Philip knows he can't do anything to change how the two people he loves the most. Lukas can tell it's bothering him, that he feels useless. He hooks their ankles together and takes a bite of his chicken, smiling when Philip looks up from his plate.

"I'm gonna visit Dad tomorrow, see how he's doing. They said he should be awake by the time I get there," he says.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Philip asks.

"Both of you are coming with me. Jamie, do you want to go in late or just skip? You have a good reason to not go in," Lukas offers.

Jamie seems to think about it. "After this morning's experience, I want to spend the day with Bo."

They finish their dinner and sit around the television, watching reruns of 21 Jump Street. After a couple episodes, Jamie yawns and starts to head upstairs, only to stop and turn around about halfway up the steps.

"Pop? I love you too. Both of you. I love you both. A lot. I'm lucky to have you two as my dads," he says.

Philip looks at Lukas with shining eyes and a smile on his face. He turns back to Jamie and says, "We love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> Bo is okay, he invites Lukas, Philip, and Jamie to his house for dinner on Sunday, it becomes a thing, Helen, Gabe, and Hannah are invited along after, Bo says it's so he knows he's eating healthier like the doctor asked but they all know he's taking advantage of the time he has left to spend it with his family because he knows one day one of them could be gone.


End file.
